North Central Research Station

The issue

Preventing invasive species from entering our region is the first and most effective element in the strategy to manage these organisms and their impacts. To identify priority species and ecosystems, we must do some predicting. We need to predict the potential impacts of specific pests, singly and in combination, on forest resources at various spatial scales. An important predictive tool used to set priorities is risk assessment. For example, we need to assess and compare the risks of certain species being introduced and becoming established. Risk assessments are also needed to identify areas and ecosystems of our region that may be especially vulnerable to these pests.